The Hound | Mar. 31

Pentagon keeps losing in court, White House says slashing health care funding on table to keep funding the Iran War.

March 31, 2026

Hi there,

It’s Tuesday. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to rule out slashing health care funding to keep funding Donald Trump’s illegal war with Iran. In related news, Democrats won another state senate special election in Florida, flipping a district Trump won by 11 points in 2024. And the Pentagon is already losing in the courts trying to defend their new, restrictive policies attempting to restrain members of the press.

A federal judge has already raised alarm about the Pentagon’s new press policies, reportedly calling them “weird” and questioning their implications for press access and transparency. These restrictions—limiting how and where journalists can report and potentially curbing unscripted questioning—represent a significant shift in how the military engages with the press. When access is narrowed and questions are controlled, accountability suffers. Yet too much media coverage risks treating this as a procedural dispute or access issue rather than recognizing the broader stakes.

The public deserves reporting that makes clear what is at risk when the government sets the terms of its own oversight.

Read about this, and more, with today’s stories:

Until next time,

Harry from The Hound

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